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Cosmology
Cosmology The universe begins with the Astral Realm, domain of vying gods and hungry stars. Celestial influence radiates down onto the rest of creation as starry titans compete for dominion over the night sky. The Astral Realm The Heavens, the Realm-above-Realms, the Other Side of the Sky The Astral Realm is the ceiling to the universe. It is divided into two segments, detailed below. The Celestial Ocean is home to lonely islands and archipelagos, where mortals live beneath radiant starlight. Far above them rages an endless storm which, where lie the Supernal Heavens. Numerous unsuccessful attempts to breach these Elysian Winds have been made by ambitious aeronauts, but no known vessel has been able to withstand its roaring might or transmutative properties. Above the Elysian Winds lies the bright void of the heavens and domain of the stars. Its great emptiness is interrupted by the brilliant bodies of supernal spirits; living constellations that radiate influence down onto the realms below. This part of the Astral Realm is the farthest point known from the center of creation, both border and firmament for the rest of the known realms. Each plane is bound by its own metaphysical laws. Passage between planes is possible, but only through unique circumstance or powerful magic. The cosmos is separated into different planes; The universe is shaped, as best as mortal scholars understand, as a massive sphere. It is separated into different regions of existence called planes, each of which are bound by their own metaphysical laws (if any at all). Passage between planes is possible, but only through unique circumstances or powerful magic. The following are the major planes of the universal stage. the Material, the Mortal Realms, the Prime The first world, the original plane, home to many mortal races and cultures. The Material is the center stage of creation, where strange and extraordinary forces clash and collide. Much of the universe is defined in its relationship to the Material Plane. Mortal lives play out in this earthly world where many stories begin and end. The Material Plane's two continents surround the Celestial Ocean, whose center spills in a great maelstrom into the Astral Realm. the Fair Lands, Faerie, Old Anwynn From where Elvenkind hails and Faeries gather in arcane courts. Beneath the perpetual twilight of Annwyn is a land of enchanting beauty and overflowing magic. To travel Annwyn's fair glades is to see wonders unknown elsewhere in creation, but at great peril. In courtyards of horn and silver, the Fae invents increasingly elaborate ways to entertain and amuse themselves, often at the expense of the denizens of their lands. It is from Anwynn that the Elves first emmigrated to the Material Plane seeking emancipation, and where many traditions of magicianship and wizardry originate. For rules and guidance on Celestial Influence, see here. the Dreaming, the Mirror-Fens, the Spaces Between A twisting dimension that fills the spaces between worlds. Tales tell of half-remembered conversations with the hazy denizens of the Dreaming, whose eyes glint with hunger and mouths flash with multicolor fangs. Parents teach their children to be wary breaking a mirror for fear of what may be on the other side. Passage through the realms is possible by travel through the Border-Marches, but the secrets of negotiation with its masters belong to the powerful, foolish, and insane. the Afterlife, Avernus, the Great Below A cavern that never ends; the dwelling of the dead and never-alive. When a mortal dies, its soul descends into the depths of the Underworld. Endless tunnels twist in the long dark like serpents, where saltwater and blood-ochre drip into the deep silence of the afterlife. The domain of the dead is guarded jealously by inhabitants who know firsthand that life is wasted on the living. Category:Lore